Contronyms
by Devin Trinidad
Summary: A word with two opposite meanings. (50 Contronyms and maybe one more, 1 boy, 1 girl, and a list of grievances between them).


**Quiddity**: Essence, or a trifling point of contention

At the very core of their relationship, there is always the matter of his pursuing their quiddity while she tries to evade it.

**Trip**: A journey, or a stumble

He swears, on his good days, he only trips on his feet once whenever she smiles at him.

**Peer**: A person of the nobility, or an equal

They're peers, of course, but he knows he's better.

**Puzzle**: A problem, or to solve one

Sometimes, whenever she gets the nerve to do so, she tries to puzzle out why Tobey is so fixated on her.

**(Part 1) Out**: Visible, as with stars showing in the sky, or invisible, in reference to lights

The truth will out, he hopes desperately.

**(Part 2) Weather**: To withstand, or to wear away

Becky has to weather his interrogation every time he seeks her out via robots, but she has to admit that it's getting kind of exciting dodging his questions.

**(Part 3) Transparent**: Invisible, or obvious

"Your lies are kind of...transparent."

**Fast**: Quick, or stuck or made stable

Becky tugged at her cape, loathe to tear it, but she was held fast by a certain boy genius' attempt to imprison her.

**Enjoin**: To impose, or to prohibit

"I almost want to say I feel bad for you, but I have to do this," she murmurs as she enjoins a pair of handcuffs around his wrist.

**Presently**: Now, or soon

"Help," a bespectacled man and a ponytails yells, "the robots will be presently attacking and—_boom!_—is this the police station?"

**Mean**: Average or stingy, or excellent

"That is one big, mean, fighting machine," someone screams and Tobey has to resist the urge to roll his eyes _because it's clearly a drone, you imbecile_.

**(Part 1) Overlook**: To supervise, or to neglect

The blond looked up at the alien, looking for all the world like an innocent preteen—"Looks like I overlooked a few precautionary measures, isn't that funny?"

**(Part 2) Oversight**: Monitoring, or failing to oversee

It was probably an oversight, but let's be honest, he'd rather get caught by her any day of the week instead of rolling in calamitous debris.

**Off**: Deactivated, or activated, as an alarm

She just got out of her superhero costume, why did her alarm clock have to go off now?

**(Part 1) Dollop**: A large amount (British English), or a small amount

"I said a dollop, not a gigantic ladleful of whipped cream," Becky mutters as she takes away the tub of cream away from the blond.

**(Part 2) Quite**: Rather (as a qualifying modifier), or completely

"I think that you're quite wrong."

**(Part 3) Garnish**: To furnish, as with food preparation, or to take away, as with wages

She continues, equal parts annoyed and somewhat fond, "I'm pretty sure I said to garnish the cake, not to eat all the frosting."

**(Part 4) Trim**: To decorate, or to remove excess from

"Don't trim the frosting off the cake; it's a near travesty seeing it naked!"

**Continue**: To keep doing an action, or to suspend an action

"Oh, do continue," Tobey drawls as he keeps his nose glued to his book, "I'm honestly listening right now."

**Hold up****:** To support, or to impede

Tobey sighs as he glances at his watch for what seems like the thirtieth time that day; he still can't believe that it's eight in the morning and there are people holding up the line for the library.

**Custom**: A common practice, or a special treatment

As was custom, Becky dragged him by the scruff of the neck while he looked up at her in that goofy little way of his.

**(Part 1) Variety**: A particular type, or many types

Becky's quite stunned when she saw the variety of books on his shelf—she thought that his would be full of robotics and engineering manuals.

**(Part 2) Cleave**: To adhere, or to separate

Becky can easily read directions, can comprehend meaning and context, but how does one cleave a neutron in two?

**Wear**: To endure, or to deteriorate

He was never a patient boy to begin with, but her competitive nature doesn't wear away his intrigue.

**Rent**: To purchase use of something, or to sell use

"You tried to rent a generator when you were seven?"

**Strike**: To hit, or to miss in an attempt to hit

"Strike," the umpire yells—Tobey's fingers scrabble against his thigh, wanting to grab hold of his remote and press, but he knows she's watching.

**Scan**: To peruse, or to glance

Becky scanned through her school work, her eyes weary from another day of crime fighting.

**Sanguine**: Confidently cheerful, or bloodthirsty

Her eye twitches as she sees that a building—in need of renovation, already about to be demolished—crumbles to the ground; she started this day out so sanguine, what now?

**Model**: An exemplar, or a copy

Tobey is definitely not jealous, no sirree, but why does Becky get to be the model British Literature student while he, the one with an authentic accent, gets tossed aside?

**Skinned**: Covered with skin, or with the skin removed

Wordlessly, as they wait for the police to arrive, she hands him a roll of bandages for his skinned knees.

**Handicap**: An advantage provided to ensure equality, or a disadvantage that prevents equal achievement

Becky pursed her lips as she saw that once again, Tobey was using his robots to do nefari—_oh, did he just handicap himself to help that girl cross the finish line? _

**Liege**: A feudal lord, or a vassal

It's a play, he keeps telling himself as he makes his way center stage and right beside his make believe ruler, but he still digs in his heels as he says in the most un-French accent ever, "My liege."

**(Part 1) Sanction**: To approve, or to boycott

There's something blooming in her chest—definitely not like the flowers Violet likes to nurture—and it feels wrong and strange and weird, but oh so wonderful and bright, and why should a person like her feel these unsanctioned things?

**(Part 2) Seed**: To sow seeds, or to shed or remove them

That thing he had been feeling inside his chest was seeded into him by forces unknown; he refuses to believe that it's just a crush.

**Bound**: Heading to a destination, or restrained from movement

"I'm bound to get in trouble one way or another, Botsford," he mumbles through gritted teeth as he fingers a wrench, "just go with it."

**Throw out**: To dispose of, or to present for consideration

"Just throwing this out here; why not just let me go?"

**Bolt**: To secure, or to flee

Becky knows that there's nothing more frustrating than getting caught in a situation where she has to protect her identity or go out and do her duty, but he has that sly smirk on his face and really, she has to stay bolted to her seat or else the real fun begins.

**Apology**: A statement of contrition for an action, or a defense of one

Tobey knows that he should make an apology, really he does, but watching his robots soar and do his bidding makes him feel like he can move mountains, so _no, thank you very much._

**Temper**: To soften, or to strengthen

He's sweating bullets and apologizing, but nothing tempers her anger as she drags him by the back of the collar and back under house arrest.

**Literally**: Actually, or virtually

Tobey is not a tutor and never will be, but he feels a sense of satisfaction when finally, _finally _Johnson doesn't take the meaning of the short story so literally.

**Shop**: To patronize a business in order to purchase something, or to sell something

It's that time of year again: time to set up shop in his favorite crime ridden alleyway.

**Stakeholder**: One who has a stake in an enterprise, or a bystander who holds the stake for those placing a bet

"Kid, you're a kid and she's a kid, I'm only helping you with tonight's heist because I'm just a stakeholder...along with the rest of the villains here."

**Unbending**: Rigid, or relaxing

The law is unbending, she can't help but think sorrowfully, Tobey of all people should know that already.

**Ravel**: To entangle, or to disentangle

All these theories and questions are stuck in his head: raveling it won't solve anything because no matter how hard he tries, she never leaves evidence.

**Screen**: To present, or to conceal

His eyes are too bright and too blue, he thinks; everyone can see what he's trying to screen.

**Rock**: An immobile mass of stone or figuratively similar phenomenon, or a shaking or unsettling movement or action

Tobey rocked back on his heels, a rosy hue dusting his cheeks.

**Quantum**: Significantly large, or a minuscule part

Bob even says it's a quantum leap to even think she can try to understand a boy whose only way of reaching out is to destroy the city—she tries anyway.

**(Part 1) Refrain**: To desist from doing something, or to repeat

It's a raucous symphony of screams and gargantuan footsteps; it's a refrain of destruction and Becky wonders how long he's going to keep this up.

**(Part 2) Buckle**: To connect, or to break or collapse

Becky's knees buckled beneath her, the weight of the robot was almost too much; above her, the boy genius felt his confidence wavering.

**Splice**: To join, or to separate

"Hand me that wrench so I can splice these—_ow! You don't have to hit...As if I'll...Fine, I do know the magic word_—Please!

**Discursive**: Moving in an orderly fashion among topics, or proceeding aimlessly in a discussion

"Contronyms shouldn't have to exist, they make no sense, and above all else," he argues as he ignores her giggles, "this conversation is inane, trivial, and discursive!"


End file.
